Yoshiyuki Terada
/Image Gallery |back color = #ED1C24 }} Yoshiyuki Terada (寺田 良幸, Terada Yoshiyuki) is a fictional character in CLAMP's anime and manga series Cardcaptor Sakura. Terada-sensei, as he is addressed by all of his students, is a teacher at Tomoeda Elementary School. Through the fourth grade and part of the fifth-grade year, he is the homeroom teacher of Sakura Kinomoto (Sakura Avalon in Cardcaptors) and every other recurring elementary student character. Terada appears to teach a variety of subjects, including physical education, where he is seen in a gray sweat-suit and equipped with a whistle. Terada is not directly involved in any Clow Card plot, although he is generally always nearby as a chaperone on school field trips and events (where Clow Cards frequently appear). Because he has no magical ability, Terada never realizes most of what is happening or instead just considers it peculiar (i.e. unusual weather conditions). While he appears to be simply a filler character in the series, Terada does play a role in the manga for his relationship with student Rika Sasaki. Relationship with Rika Sasaki ]] In the manga, Terada is Rika's fiancé and elementary school teacher. They supposedly became engaged near the beginning of the series when Terada presents Rika with a ring, explaining that he hopes one day it will become a wedding ring. This suggests that they have been spending time with each other prior to the start of the manga, where Terada may have also been Rika's third grade teacher. Throughout the entire series, Terada and Rika have continued to exchange moments and soft, blushing glances whenever possible. Their relationship remains unannounced in canon, and their few interactions appear to go completely unnoticed except for two students, Sakura Kinomoto and Tomoyo Daidouji. Tomoyo is able to observe and respect the secret bond they share, but Sakura remains oblivious and confused whenever she notices Rika or Terada blushing. In the anime, Terada and Rika are not engaged, but Rika maintains her schoolgirl crush on Terada-sensei. Rika states that Terada reminds her of her absent businessman father. Terada always accepts the cakes she bakes for him, as well as appreciating the teddy bear that she gives him in episode 50. He decides to name it after her, saying that he considers his hardest working student. Cardcaptors The references to the relationship are eliminated entirely, as Rika's shyness toward Mr.Terada is presented in a way that implies that she is afraid of him. Trivia * While Terada is a teacher, his official age is not given. In the Japanese version, Terada's speech pattern reflects that of a younger man (for example, with Terada not using わし ["washi"] as a pronoun, or not using おる instead of いる, the way a notably older aged man might). This would place him in the age range of about 18-20+, but pre-middle age (Japan). (Middle age is typically considered 45 to 65 in America.) In 1996, the year that Cardcaptor Sakura's manga was first published, the age of majority in Japan (for adulthood) was 20; this definition of adulthood also dates back to 1898. In comparison, however, statutes such as the Child Welfare Law and Labor Standards Law effectively recognize 18- and 19-year-olds as adults in terms of employment and thus pave the way for them to work, for example, as public servants. (source) * The lowest level of certification (for teaching) in Japan is temporary, valid for 15 years, and available to graduates of a junior college teaching program. (source) Typically, education in junior colleges is for two years. (source) * Furthermore, two-thirds of all Japanese primary school teachers are under the age of 40. Fewer than 1 percent of the teachers have graduate degrees (source) (implying Terada likely wouldn't have a graduate degree either, and thus wouldn't be at an age of having completed a graduate degree). * In 1990, the average age of first marriage of Japanese adults was 28.4 for men and 25.8 years of age for women respectively. In 1999, the average marriage age for men was 28.5, the same as it had been for years. (source) With all this in mind, since Terada does not use speech patterns for a middle-aged man, or an around 45+ aged man, and is unmarried prior to meeting Rika, it's highly likely he is in the age range of 20~35, or a younger teacher. * If Terada had met Rika while already a teacher prior to the start of the manga, he would have thus been a year or so younger from the presumed age range of 20~35, or around 20~33. If he began teaching soon after college, his age could be even lower - though he'd still be some years older than Rika. Due to the uncertain timeline, further age discrepancies could apply to either; including in the anime, which has a different timeline from the manga. (This is also provided he did not meet Rika while already in his early 20's or slightly younger.) * In Japanese primary (elementary) school, teachers change classrooms rather than students. This is even seen with Terada in both the manga and anime. If Rika had met Terada prior to the manga, it's possible they initially met through this method. * In the manga, Terada presents Rika with the ring when it is winter, as Rika, Sakura, and the rest of the 4th grade students had already changed into their winter uniforms. Syaoran also comments to Sakura in the same chapter that "9 months" had passed since Sakura began collecting the Clow Cards, and Sakura had stated beforehand she began searching for them since "this year in April" (when Japan's school year began). The chapter itself takes place when Sakura is searching for a gift for Yukito's birthday (December 25th), implying the current month was still December. Rika's birthday is June 24th, which would have taken place after that initial April. Rika even mentions to Sakura "it's not my birthday yet" when Sakura presents her with the returned brooch at the end of the chapter (meant for Terada), as Rika's next birthday wouldn't be until the next June 24th, or the following year. * In Chapter 3, Chiharu mentions to Rika about liking "Midori-sensei, the Japanese teacher"; Rika responds in turn "really, I think Terada-sensei, the gym teacher is good". * There is nothing in the manga or anime that suggests the two were having a sexual relationship, regardless of their relationship status later on in the manga. In fact, in the final chapter of the manga, when speaking of her relationship to Sakura (though she doesn't reveal it's with Terada), Rika even laments she rarely has time to see Terada at all specifically because of his job. This would imply that even if Rika knew Terada from a previous year, they rarely interacted until a certain point. * In Clear Card Arc, Rika has since entered a different Junior High school from Sakura, and would be around the age of 14. Because she is no longer in the same school where Terada teaches, this would mean Terada is no longer her teacher at that particular school. Terada is not mentioned at all during Rika's initial reappearances in the manga or anime. * Sakura's voice actress, along with the official app, later confirmed Sakura's age to be specifically 13 in Clear Card Arc. As all of Sakura's classmates would be implied older than her in a real-world setting (due to Sakura's birthday being April 1st, the cutoff date for the Japanese school year) and due to the timeline inconsistency, Rika (her birthday being June 24th) could have actually been a bit older at the start of the series as well, including in Clear Card Arc. External Links Higher Education / Junior Colleges in Japan (Information on higher education in Japan) Navigation es:Yoshiyuki Terada Category:Characters Category:Male characters